


Number One

by percyyoulittleshit



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-07-10 11:40:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6983479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyyoulittleshit/pseuds/percyyoulittleshit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annabeth and Piper need a new roommate and the cute barista from the coffee place they go all the time seems like a good option, according to Piper, at least.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Number One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hamabee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hamabee/gifts).



In all honesty, she had no idea when she started to develop feelings for her roommate. Percy had moved in almost a year ago, and to be honest, she hadn't fond of the idea, at first. She didn’t feel comfortable living with a boy (a boy she only knew as the Too Talkative Barista) but they had a spare bedroom, and she and Piper needed help with the rent so Percy became their roommate. **  
**

Honestly, it was Piper’s fault. She was chatty when Annabeth was serious, and while Annabeth only ordered her coffee and walked away, Piper usually started a conversation with him. That’s how she learned he went to Ithaca, just like Piper. He was majoring in marine biology, he was the cousin of Piper’s boyfriend and, most importantly, that he was looking to move out of the dorms.

“He’s perfect,” Piper had said that night. They were taking a break from studying for finals, and they were relaxing on the couch watching some lame TV show about pirates.

“He’s a _boy_.”

“Jason says Percy is trustworthy, and he is his favorite cousin.”

“He is still a stranger, Pipes, a _male_ stranger who you want to live with us.”

“You and I were strangers when I moved in.”

Annabeth sighed. She was right, she had no idea who Piper was when she moved in with her and their ex-roommate, Calypso. Annabeth and Calypso had been roommates during their freshman year at Cornell, and by their sophomore year, they decided to move out of the dorms. They couldn’t afford the rent between just the two of them, and that’s when they found Piper. Unlike them, Piper went to Ithaca. They thought she would be too far away from her college, but she liked to bike to her classes so the three of them became roommates. Honestly, Piper became the best friend Annabeth could hope for. Everything was great, until the moment when Calypso decided college was not for her, dropped out, and decided to travel around the world, leaving Piper and Annabeth with one extra room and the need to find a new roommate.

“He is a boy, Piper!”

“We need him, unless you want to ask our parents for money to pay the rent. Besides, have you seen the tip jar at his work? The boy knows how to charm people into leaving him nice tips.”

They discussed it a little bit more, until Annabeth lost the fight, and one week later, Percy was moving in with them.

It was a weird adjustment for Annabeth, who could no longer walk around the apartment in her underwear or towel, well, it was more like she _wouldn’t_ than _couldn’t_. Piper had no problem doing any of that, and it usually ended up with a very red Percy. But, Percy tried his best to be a good roommate. While his room was a mess, he cleaned the common areas of the apartment, he was an amazing cook, and he usually brought them free coffee and bread from the coffee shop.

Piper and Percy became friends quickly, while it took more time for Annabeth to just become _friendly_ with him. But if there was something Percy was, it was perseverant, and he tried his best to win her over. When she had a long night of projects, he brought her favorite coffee, he cooked her favorite breakfast when she had an exam or a big day at college, he was so nice and attentive and a huge dork and she couldn’t help but become close with him. It happened so gradually over the months that they lived together, that she didn’t know the moment he went from her new roommate to one of her best friends.

Just like she didn’t know when he became more than a friend to her. The first time she started to think she might have feelings for him was the day he brought a girl to their apartment for the first time. Percy had been living with them for almost seven months, and they were about to finish their sophomore year. He brought a girl to the apartment, and Annabeth had no idea what she was feeling when she saw Percy and a brunette on the couch watching a movie, she just knew that wasn’t right. Why was this girl’s head resting on his shoulder? Why was his arm around her shoulders? Why she was feeling like this? What was it? This feeling that made Annabeth want to kick the girl out of their house?

She later found out her name was Lilian and that she and Percy had been going out on a few dates. Annabeth hated everything about her: she was petite while Annabeth was just a few inches shorter than Percy, and she had beautiful, glossy and straight brown hair. She was pretty much the opposite of Annabeth, but what made Annabeth hate her the most, was that she had Percy’s affection.

He and Lilian dated for a few weeks, making Annabeth grow apart from Percy. Seeing him with her hurt too much, and she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to tell Piper because she wasn’t even sure what her feelings for Percy were. The morning Annabeth finally realized her feelings for him, was the morning after her finals were over and after Piper had gone back to California. Annabeth woke up to find Lilian making coffee, wearing only one of Percy’s shirts and Annabeth suddenly couldn’t breathe. She had know there were nights when Percy didn’t come home, but her brain refused to accept that the most likely possibility was that he stayed over at Lilian’s dorm. But now, Lilian was humming a happy song while making two cups of coffee, and Annabeth couldn’t deny the truth anymore, she felt like someone was crushing her heart and she did the only thing she could do in that moment, run away from the apartment.

She ended up hiding on campus. It was almost empty now that classes were over and nobody could see her cry, nobody could hear the heartbreaking sobs of realization that _she was in love with Percy Jackson_.

* * *

 

“Next time you bring a girl to spend the night, I would like to know, so I won’t be surprised when I see her almost naked in the kitchen,” she told Percy later that night, after she had come back home. Thankfully, he was having dinner alone, and after her comment, he almost choked on his drink, face red from embarrassment.

“It won’t happen again,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

She nodded and started walking toward her room.

“Wait!” Percy yelled, and Annabeth turned to face him. He stood and walked toward her quickly. “Are….are we okay?”

Annabeth felt like she had swallowed a brick. Of course they weren’t okay, she was in love with him and he was dating someone else. Before, she could barely stand to be near him because it hurt too much. But now? Knowing he had her heart while his wasn’t hers? It felt like an elephant was standing over her chest, crushing her heart and not letting her breath.

“Of course we are okay!” she lied. “ Why wouldn’t we be?” It’s not like she just realized she was madly in love with him and spent the whole day in the library making lists about what she should do to forget him.

He looked at her. She could see it in his eyes, he was nervous and anxious, and she hated herself for being able to read him so well. He was looking at her, searching for something in her face. He sighed, probably after not being able to find what he was looking for. Could he know that she was lying? Could he read her as well as she could read him?

After a second, he said, “I haven’t see you that much.”

“Well, I’ve been busy with my finals and projects. I also barely saw Piper.” Lies, she had been avoiding him as much as she could. “Besides you have spent almost all of you free time with Lilian.”

“I know.” He ruffled his hair with his hand, making his hair even more messier. “I just–I miss you.”

Annabeth forgot how to breath for a second. “I miss you, too.”

“Can we spend more time together? We’re both staying here for another month, and I really want us to be like we were before.”

Before Lilian, Annabeth thought, when they spent nights talking next to the window, when Percy brought her new coffee inventions to see her reaction, when the two of the went to eat without Piper because they really wanted to eat a hamburger with real meat and not some vegan stuff, nights of crappy movies and popcorn and watching _Game of Thrones_ while Piper ranted in the background about everything wrong with the show. Her brain was screaming at her, that no, they couldn’t spend more time together. How was she supposed to forget him if she spent more time with him? But her heart wanted to say yes, she wanted to have him close, she wanted to hear him laugh, to see him smile, to hear his bad puns and jokes, she wanted him.

And after her better judgment, she found herself saying, “I would like that, too.”

He smiled at her, that beautiful smile that lit up his whole face and made her love him a little bit more. She smiled back.

They were both staying in Ithaca for a few months over the summer, Annabeth helping on research and Percy teaching on a swimming summer camp and his usual work at the coffee shop. True to her word, Annabeth put more effort into spending more time with Percy. It helped that Lilian had gone back to her city for the summer, and she had Percy to herself. Percy did his best to recover the lost time; he cooked for her and told her the worst puns he could think of, she worked on her research at his coffee shop and they both walked home after his shift. She loved his company, and even if her heart ached for more than his friendship, she was learning how to live with her feelings, how to live knowing he would never be hers.

But everything changed a few weeks later when she came home to find Percy sitting on the couch, looking a little lost.

“Lilian broke up with me,” he said before she could ask what was wrong.

“Oh, Percy,” she walked toward him and sat down on the couch next to him. “I’m really sorry.” And she was, she wasn’t a fan of Lilian, but Percy cared about her and she didn’t want to see him hurt. He looked confused and lost, his eyes were a little bit misty, and they weren’t the bright green she loved so much.

“She ran into her ex girlfriend and one thing lead to another and she told me she’s really sorry but she never forgot about her and how they really want it to give their relationship another shot.”

“I’m really sorry, Percy.”

He rubbed his face with his hands. “Well, yeah.”

She hugged him, and he rested his head on her shoulder. “You know what we have to do right now?”

“Ice cream?”

Annabeth nodded. “Rocky road and a Doctor Who marathon.”

They spent the whole night eating ice cream and watching the doctor save the world, she knew Percy wasn’t okay. From time to time, she looked over at him, and he was lost in thought, spoon full of melting ice cream. She nudged him and made a bad joke, and he gave her a small smile and turned back to watch the episode. It was a routine she did all night, until they both fell asleep on the couch.

With a few weeks, Percy’s broken heart started to heal, and by the time they were both going to leave their apartment and finally go back home for the rest of the summer, he promised he was better.

“We didn’t date for long, Annabeth.” They were at the the bus station, waiting for her bus to arrive. He wasn’t taking the bus with her, his parents were going to pick him up, and he told her she was more than welcome to the city with them but she politely declined. “It’s okay, it’s not like I was in love with her, I mean, I know I could have loved her, but we didn’t have the chance to see for real.”

“I’m just a phone call away, okay?”

“Annabeth, seriously, I’m okay,” he looked at her, and she couldn’t describe the emotions in his eyes. He had been looking at her for a while now, and it really bothered her that for the first time, she didn’t know what he was thinking. “I’ll text you, I’ll call you, and I’ll bother you the whole summer to the point you will be sick of me by the time we come back.”

Annabeth nodded. She was going back to San Francisco with her family. She didn’t really want to go, she didn’t have a good relationship with them, but Piper was back there and she had been missing her.

Her bus pulled up in front of them, and Percy smiled. “Well, it seems like your bus is here.”

“Yeah, well, I guess this is goodbye.”

Percy gave her another cryptic smile. “See you soon.” He kissed her cheek, and Annabeth was sure she forgot how to breath for a second.

“See you soon.”

True to his word he saw her soon, except it was through a screen and not in person. They spent the rest of the summer texting and facetiming. More nights that not, Annabeth fell asleep with him at the other end of her phone. Her feelings became so painful obvious even Piper started to notice them and tease her about them. After a while, she even started encouraging Annabeth to act on her feelings.

“He has been single for a while now,” Piper said one day while they were at Starbucks catching up. “And he is closer to you than me.”

“Not true.”

“He brought you coffee almost all the time, Annabeth.” She took a sip of her frappuccino.. “He barely did that for me.”

“Yes, but he also dated Lilian.”

“Look, I’m sure he had feelings for you at some point, and to be honest, I think he still has. You guys talk _all the time_ , he and I only talk every few days.”

“We’re friends,” Annabeth said and stole a bite from Piper’s muffin. “Just friends.”

“No, Percy and I are _just friends_ , you guys are totally something else.”

“We are not.”

“Look,” Piper said more softly this time. “All I’m saying is _don’t lose hope_.”

Annabeth quietly said, “He invited me to stay with him in New York for a while.”

Piper laughed, “Well, there you go! He didn’t invite me! The jerk! Are you going?”

“No, yes? I mean, I want to go! But I don’t want to stay with his family! That would be too embarrassing!”

“Well….Your dad still owes you a birthday present, doesn’t he?”

“…Yes.”

“I’m sure he can afford to send you to New York for a week, can’t he? And if he can’t…you have a full scholarship, and you still have all your college funds untouched.”

“I’m not going to use that money on visiting a guy!”

Piper just smiled at her.

In the end her dad, in fact, could afford to have her stay in hotel for a week, but all her personal needs came from her own bank account. She and Percy decided she should visit around his birthday, so then they could go back to Ithaca together and settle down before starting their junior year.

He picked her up at the airport, and Annabeth was speechless when she saw him. He looked even better than the last time she saw him, and god, feeling his arms around her was the best feeling in the world.

They spent almost the whole time together, the only time they were apart was at night, when she was alone in her hotel room and he was back at his place. He took her around New York City, and he told her what he knew about the city and stories of his childhood and teenage years. She met his family. His mother was the sweetest person she had ever known, his stepdad was polite and nice, and his baby sister was the most adorable little girl.

She celebrated his birthday with him and his family, and after dinner they were walking back to his house, where his blue cake with twenty one candles was waiting for them.

“Hey, Mom,” Percy said when they were reaching his apartment. “I wanna take Annabeth to grab a coffee before we go back home, do you guys want anything?”

Paul and Sally shook their heads. “Just be home soon, sweetie. We have a cake to eat.”

Percy nodded and took Annabeth’s hand, he guided her across the street, and Annabeth couldn’t help to notice he was still holding her hand. In the past few days, she felt the change between them. Percy’s touch lingered more on her, and she would find him looking at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, but instead of looking away, he just smiled at her. The hugs too. It seemed like Percy looked for any excuse to hug her, but Annabeth wasn’t complaining. She could hear Piper’s voice in the back of her head ‘ _don’t lose hope_ ’ and she didn’t. Against her better judgment, she became hopeful.

He took her to his favorite coffee shop, and while they were waiting for their drinks, he told her how he used to work there when he was in high school. Once their drinks were ready, he took her to a park near his apartment.

“How has your birthday been so far?” Annabeth asked him when they were both sitting on the swings, drinking their coffee.

“So far? It’s probably one of my top five.”

She laughed. “I’m glad.”

She saw Percy take a deep breath before saying, “The fact that you’re here, it has a lot to do with it.” He was looking at her, and there was so much intensity in his eyes. He started moving closer to her, as close as he could while they were on their swings. She could feel her body moving closer to his, and when his face was just inches away from hers, she could feel his breath on her lips.

“You have foam on your lips,” he said while tracing her upper lip with his finger. Annabeth couldn’t move because she was afraid to break the spell. His eyes were locked on her lips, and then he moved his finger and closed the distance between them.

She had no idea how long they kissed. One of his hands was on her hair and the other was grasping the swing chain, he pulled her as close as he could, their lips moving against each other in perfect synchrony. Sometime during the kiss she had moved from her swing and to his lap, and her arms were around his neck. The sound of kids laughing in the background made them separate.

“Hi,” he said breathlessly. He was running his hand over her hair while his other had moved to rest around her waist.

“Hi.” She could feel her smile, and he was grinning back at her. “I’m a little bit scared we’re gonna fall of the swings.”

Percy laughed and moved the hand that was on her hair to one of the chains. “Better?”

Annabeth nodded. “So, this just happened.”

“Yeah.” They couldn’t stop smiling at each other. “And it will happen again…right?”

“Definitely.”  She said, closing the space between them, but before they could kiss, Percy’s ringtone went off. He couldn’t grab his phone with Annabeth sitting on his lap, so after a few awkward seconds, she stood up so Percy could reach his phone.

“It’s Mom,” he told her before answering. “Hey! Yeah, sorry we got a little bit distracted.” Annabeth snorted at that comment. “No, no, we are on our way, I’m sorry, we lost track of time, we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

Percy hung the phone up and slipped it back into his pocket. “She wanted  to know if we were coming anytime soon or if she should take Mia to bed.”

Annabeth nodded, and Percy stood from the swing and took her hand. “We should get back home.”

“Yes, we don’t want Mia to stay awake past her bedtime.”

He gave her a quick kiss, and Annabeth could feel herself smiling all over again. They started walking back to his apartment, holding hands, and there was a comfortable silence between them. From time to time, they would look at each other and smile.

They were a block away from his place when he broke the silence. “Number one.”

“Hm?”

“This birthday has officially moved to number one of the best birthdays ever.”

Annabeth was still laughing when he pulled her in for another kiss.


End file.
